Saturday, May 16, 2009

Homemade Gazing Balls for Your Garden

The Frog Princess and I just completed
our favorite craft of the year this week.
We made yardgazingballs
that we found the directions for
in the May 2009 issue ofFamily Fun Magazine
(they have the best craft projects!)

I just want to say congrats on getting your blog featured in the September issue of Family Fun! :) I was flipping through it yesterday, when I noticed your blog url... I said, "Oh my gosh! I follow that blog!". I felt like I knew a celebrity! Very cool! :)

Hello, My mother in law seen these gazing balls in the family fun mag. And we decided to try them. We searched high and lo for the balls everyone acted like we were crazy! We did find them. Well Im just impatient so I decided to do one that night with my oldest son. we drizzled the paint and WOW it was awesome BUT that was the inside, the same affect was not on the outside of the ball where u see it, it was more like blotches. Can u help me and tell me wat I did wrong? THANKS SO MUCH

debryan1, I don't think the outside ever looks as pretty as the inside. It's important that you go slowly and add one or two colors at a time then slowly tip the ball and let the colors run. Mine dried with some splotchy holes so I had to go back and add a second coat to fill in the gaps. If it looked like big blobs on the outside you may have poured too much of one color in too fast -- it stuck to the plastic walls then as you added other colors they marbeled and swirled and looked pretty on the INSIDE....that's my guess without actually being there or seeing it. I hope this helps. Slowly Slowly wins the race and remember what I always say to my students "There Are NO Mistakes In Art -- only opportunities for new ideas!" Fondly, MaryLea (pink and green mama)

I'm having trouble with the wiring. Is there any way to keep the wire from being too loose while you're winding it around? Right now I tried hot glueing the ball to the rod first (it's trying as we speak).

I think I threaded it through the small hole on the plastic ornament then wrapped one end around the stick, and continued to criss-cross and wrap the wire around the ball and stick. It was just a balancing act, I may have used some needle nose pliers to tighten it up!! Good luck : )

We are making these as a group project with our family circle tomorrow. I did a test subject today and it came out beautifully! My 7-year-old is super excited to get her hands on the paint tomorrow. :) Thanks so much for the post. All of your ideas are beautiful!Peace and Brightest Blessings!

Spring is finally here in Western NY State! BUT, a cold front is going to come through late friday and it's going to be chilly and rainy on Saturday which is when we are celebrating my daughter's 9th birthday. Perfect rainy day project that i know she will love!Kelly

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